This invention relates to injecting devices and more particularly to improvements in injection assemblies capable of a plurality of separate injections.
Injectors of the so-called "automatic" type are well known. Examples of injectors of this type are contained in Sarnoff et al. U.S. Pat. No. 2,832,339 and Sarnoff et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,882,863. Injectors having the construction embodied in these two patents have been constructed so as to contain a chemical warfare antidote dosage for use by military personnel. Another example of an injector of the automatic type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,702,609. The injectors disclosed in all of these patents are single dosage injectors.
In many situations now presented it has become necessary to provide military personnel with the capability of self-injecting a plurality of separate medicament dosages as, for example, 2 mg of atropine and 600 mg of pralidoxime chloride. Current practice is to provide two separate injectors which military personnel must handle separately and actuate separately. Under the circumstances where the injection of such plural dosages is needed it is important that personnel accomplish the injection procedure as rapidly as possible. The provision of separate injectors does not serve to facilitate the accomplishment of the actuation of both injectors. For example, the handling of more than one injector at a time is difficult because the actuation of each injector requires both hands. Moreover, by having each injector separate there exists the possibility that they are not conveniently together when use is required.
In Sarnoff et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,226,235 there is disclosed a plural injection assembly which not only serves to unitize two separate injectors but to unitize them in such a way that a single actuation will insure the simultaneous or substantially simultaneous actuation of all of the injectors. For example, in FIG. 7 of the aforesaid patent, there is disclosed an arrangement by which a small dosage injector constructed in accordance with Sarnoff et al. U.S. Pat. No. 2,832,339 and a relatively large dosage injector constructed in accordance with Sarnoff et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,882,863 are unitized in an arrangement capable of a simultaneous injection in response to a single actuation.
The present invention has for its object the provision of a plural injection assembly which embodies a plurality of separate injectors capable of separate actuation such as those presently provided and a holder for stably supporting the separate injectors together and for manually facilitating the sequential actuation thereof. The holder consists essentially of a one-piece molded plastic body which is easily disposed in supported relation with respect to the plurality of separate injectors such that the assembly can be either accomplished manually by furnishing the holder to military personnel already provided with separate injectors or by providing simple preassembly either manually or by machine. In the assembly constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention, each injector includes the usual exterior housing having a needle, a medicament dosage and a stressed spring assembly mounted therein in cooperating relation such that upon actuation of the injector the associated stressed spring assembly is released to move the associated needle into the muscle tissue of a user and the associated medicament dosage outwardly through the needle into the muscle tissue. Each injector also includes an arming member preferably in the form of an arming pin on an end cap mounted for movement from (1) a normal position exposed exteriorly with respect to the associated housing and operatively connected with the associated stressed spring assembly for preventing actuation of the injector and release of the associated spring assembly for enabling the latter to be released upon actuation of the associated injector. The holder is mounted in retaining engagement with each arming member and in removable supporting relation over an adjacent portion of each housing so as to stably support the injectors together with a substantial portion of their housings exposed in a convenient position to be sequentially grasped by one hand of a user when the holder is grasped by the other hand, thereby enabling the user to manually remove from the holder each injector in an armed condition ready for actuation and release of the stressed spring assembly thereof by virtue of the retention of the associated arming member in engagement with the holder.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a plural injection assembly of the type described which is simple in construction, effective in operation and economical to manufacture.
These and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent during the course of the following detailed description and appended claims.
The invention may best be understood with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein an illustrative embodiment is shown.